Fully integrated molded firearm holster retention system

ABSTRACT

A handgun holster includes a first body section and a second body section, each section being constructed of a single, unitary piece of material. The two body sections are interconnected to form a handgun holster body defining an internal handgun receiving pocket, the pocket including a barrel section and a trigger section. A biasing element is integrally formed in the first body section and includes a flexible portion extending inwardly into the trigger section of the pocket from a first surface of the first body section. A retention element is integrally formed in the second body section and includes a raised portion extending inwardly into the trigger section of the pocket from a first surface of the second body section that opposes the first surface of the first body section.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This non-provisional patent application claims priority benefit with regard to all common subject matter of earlier-filed U.S. provisional patent application titled REFLEX HOLSTER, filed Jan. 13, 2012, and assigned application Ser. No. 61/586,176. The earlier-filed application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety into the present application.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

Embodiments of the present invention relate to handgun holsters. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to a handgun holster constructed of a relatively small number of holster body sections each of unitary construction, with elements of a handgun retention system integrally formed in one or more of the holster body sections.

2. Related Art

Handgun holsters are well known in the art and may be worn, for example, near a user's waist or under the user's arm in a location providing the user with easy access to a handgun carried in the holster. Holsters not only provide a convenient place to carry and/or conceal handguns on a user's person, but also serve to secure and protect the handgun. Handgun holsters may, for example, secure the handgun in place and prevent inadvertent or undesired withdrawal from the holster, inadvertent or undesired discharge of the handgun, or both. In law enforcement and military applications, in particular, handgun holsters must secure and protect the firearm during rigorous and sometimes dangerous physical activity, including physical confrontations with individuals who may seek to wrest control of the handgun and harm the person wearing the holster. In such circumstances, it is critical that the holster allow the user to quickly and easily remove the handgun while protecting the handgun from physical damage, inadvertent removal, removal by other persons, and inadvertent discharge.

Holsters have been developed that include retention mechanisms for securely retaining a handgun while allowing a user to quickly withdraw the handgun from the holster. Such retention mechanisms are complex and include many separate components that must be assembled during the manufacturing process, rendering the retaining mechanisms expensive to manufacture and potentially susceptible to failure.

Accordingly, there is a need for an improved handgun holster which overcomes the limitations described above.

SUMMARY

A handgun holster in accordance with an embodiment of the invention comprises a first body section constructed of a single, unitary piece of material and a second body section constructed of a single, unitary piece of material. The first and second body sections are interconnected to form at least a portion of a handgun holster body defining an internal handgun receiving pocket, the pocket including a barrel portion and a trigger portion. A biasing element is integrally formed in the first body section, the biasing element including a flexible portion extending inwardly into the trigger portion of the receiving pocket from a first surface of the first body section. A retention element is integrally formed in the second body section, the retention element including a raised portion extending inwardly into the trigger portion of the receiving pocket from a first surface of the second body section that opposes the first surface of the first body section.

A handgun holster in accordance with another embodiment of the invention comprises a first body section constructed of a single, unitary piece of material and a second body section constructed of a single, unitary piece of material. The first and second body sections are interconnected to form at least a portion of a handgun holster body defining an internal handgun receiving pocket. A retention element is integrally formed in the second body section, the retention element extending inwardly into the pocket and configured to engage a handgun when the handgun is inserted into the holster and to prevent movement of the handgun out of the holster when engaging the handgun. A biasing element is integrally formed in the first body section, the biasing element extending inwardly into the pocket and configured to flexibly engage the handgun and urge the handgun into engagement with the retention element.

A handgun holster in accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention comprises a first body section constructed of a single, unitary piece of material and a second body section constructed of a single, unitary piece of material. The second body section includes a plurality of channel portions configured to slidingly receive a portion of the first body section, the first and second body sections being interconnected to form at least a portion of a handgun holster body defining an internal handgun receiving pocket including a barrel portion and a trigger portion.

A biasing element is integrally formed in the first body section, the biasing element including a flexible portion extending inwardly into the trigger portion of the pocket from a first surface of the first body section. A retention element is integrally formed in the second body section, the retention element including a raised portion extending inwardly into the trigger portion of the pocket from a first surface of the second body section that opposes the first surface of the first body section. The handgun receive pocket is configured to allow the handgun to pivot in the pocket between a first position wherein the handgun is in engagement with the retention element, and a second position wherein the handgun is disengaged from the retention element.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a handgun holster constructed in accordance with embodiments of the present invention, illustrating a handgun seated in the holster;

FIG. 2 is an exploded outer side perspective view of the holster of FIG. 1 illustrating an attachment component, an adapter element, an inner holster body section and an outer holster body section;

FIG. 3 is an inner side exploded view of the attachment component, adapter element, and inner holster body section of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an inner side perspective view of the inner holster section and the outer holster section of FIG. 1, illustrating the inner holster body section in a position to slidingly engage the outer holster body section;

FIG. 5 is an inner side top perspective view of the holster of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an inner side top perspective view of the outer holster body section of FIG. 1, illustrating the handgun seated in the outer body section;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary inner side perspective view of the holster and handgun of FIG. 1, illustrating the handgun seated in the holster in a position engaging a retention element of the outer body section;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the holster and handgun of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary inner side perspective view of the holster and handgun of FIG. 1, illustrating the handgun seated in the holster in a position disengaged from the retention element of the outer body section; and

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the holster and handgun of FIG. 9.

The drawing figures do not limit the present invention to the specific embodiments disclosed and described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description references the accompanying drawings that illustrate specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. The embodiments are intended to describe aspects of the invention in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments can be utilized and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

In this description, references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or “embodiments” mean that the feature or features being referred to are included in at least one embodiment of the technology. Separate references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or “embodiments” in this description do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment and are also not mutually exclusive unless so stated and/or except as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the description. For example, a feature, structure, act, etc. described in one embodiment may also be included in other embodiments, but is not necessarily included. Thus, the present technology can include a variety of combinations and/or integrations of the embodiments described herein.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, a handgun holster 10 constructed in accordance with embodiments of the invention is illustrated. The holster broadly includes an attachment component 12, a first body section 14 and a second body section 16. A shield element 18 may also be interposed between the attachment component 12 and the first body section 14 to protect the handgun, as explained below.

The first body section 14 and the second body section 16 form at least a portion of the handgun body and define a handgun receiving pocket 20 that includes a trigger portion 22 and a barrel portion 24. A top opening 26 corresponds to a top of the receiving pocket 20 and is configured such that a handgun 28 is seated in the holster 10 by inserting the handgun 28 through the top opening 26, as illustrated in FIG. 1. When the handgun 28 is seated in the holster 10, a trigger 30 and trigger guard 32 of the handgun 28 are at least partially concealed by the holster 10. Advantageously, each of the first 14 and second 16 body sections is of unitary construction and includes elements of a handgun retention system, as explained below in greater detail.

The attachment component 12 is configured to be attached to a belt, strap or other attachment element or piece of clothing for securing the holster 10 to the user's person. The illustrated attachment component includes a pair of opposed, arcuate arms 34,36 presenting a plurality of elongated apertures 38 configured to receive a belt or strap.

The first body section 14 is constructed of a single, unitary piece of material and corresponds to an inner portion of the holster 10 body adjacent the attachment component 12 and proximate the user's person when in use. The first body section 14 includes a plurality of attachment through-holes 40, one or more index elements 42,44,46, and one or more biasing elements 48.

In the illustrated embodiment, the first body section 14 includes a bottom edge 50, a forward edge 52 adjacent and perpendicular to the bottom edge 50, a top edge 54 adjacent the forward edge 52, a first rearward edge 56 adjacent the top edge 54 and approximately parallel with the forward edge 52, a trigger portion bottom edge 58 adjacent the first rearward edge 56, and a second rearward edge 60 connecting the trigger portion bottom edge 58 and the bottom edge 50 and being parallel with the forward edge 52. As illustrated, all of the edges are straight or substantially straight except for the top edge 54, which presents a downwardly-arcuate profile. The top edge 54 is opposite the bottom edge 50, wherein the top edge 54 defines a portion of the top opening 26 of the pocket and the bottom edge 50 defines a portion of a bottom opening 62 of the pocket 20. The trigger portion bottom edge 58, the first rearward edge 56, and a rearward portion 64 of the top edge 54 define an area that corresponds to the trigger portion 22 of the receiving pocket 20.

The index elements 42,44,46 are configured and positioned to engage portions of the handgun 28 and maintain the handgun 28 in a desired position within the holster 10. The index elements 42,44,46 also allow the handgun 28 to be pivoted between a first position (FIG. 8) and a second position (FIG. 9) wherein the handgun 28 is disengaged from a retention system, as explained below. The particular size, shape and placement of the index elements 42,44,46 is not important to the present invention and may vary substantially from one embodiment to another without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the index elements 42,44,46 include a plurality of elongated protrusions integrally formed in the first body section 14 and extending into the pocket 20. A first index element 42 extends the length of the section 14 from the top edge 54 to the bottom edge 50, is proximate the forward edge 52, and spans about one-fourth to about one-half of the width of the pocket 20 (the distance between the first body section 14 and the second body section 16). A second index element 44 extends substantially the length of the section 14 from the top edge 54 to the bottom edge 50 except that it is interrupted by two of the attachment through-holes 40. The second index element 44 is positioned parallel with the first index element 42 and positioned inboard of the first index element 42 such that the first index element 42 is located approximately one-half the distance between the second index element 44 and the forward edge 52. The second index element 44 presents a lower profile than the first index element 42, spanning about one-tenth to about one-fourth of the width of the pocket. A third index element 46 is positioned approximately parallel with the second rearward edge 60 and is separated therefrom by a space. The third index element 46 extends from the bottom edge 50 approximately half-way toward the top edge 54 of section 14. The third index element spans about one-fourth to about one-third of the width of the pocket

The biasing element 48 is integrally formed in the first body section 14 and includes a flexible portion extending generally inwardly into the trigger portion 22 of the handgun receiving pocket 20. More particularly, the biasing element 48 includes a press arm 66 that includes a free-floating first end 68, an inwardly arcuate middle portion 70, and a second end 72 that is integrally and flexibly connected to the first body section 14. An aperture 74 in the first body section 14 is adjacent the biasing element 48 and is configured to receive the press arm 66 when the press arm 66 is depressed toward the first body section 14, such that the press arm 66 may be depressed partially or completely through the aperture 74.

The first body section 14 includes elements for attaching the first body section 14 to the second body section 16. In the illustrated embodiment, a first pair of rails 76 proximate the forward edge 52, a second pair of rails 78 proximate the first rearward edge 56, and a third pair of rails 80 proximate the second rearward edge 60 are configured to engage corresponding channels of the second body section 16 to enable the first body section 14 to slidingly engage the second body section 16, as explained below.

The attachment through-holes 40 accommodate bolts, T-nuts or similar attachment elements for interconnecting the first body section 14 with the shield element 18, the attachment component 12, or both.

The second body section 16 is constructed of a single, unitary piece of material and corresponds to an outer portion of the holster 10 body distal the user's person when the holster 10 is in use, and includes outer walls that cooperate with the first body section 14 to define the handgun receiving pocket 20. The second body section 16 further includes one or more index elements 82,84 and a retention element 86.

In the illustrated embodiment, the second body section 16 includes an outer wall 88 with a large portion 90 and a small portion 92, a forward wall 94 and a rearward wall 96. The rearward wall 96 includes first 98 and second 100 sections cooperating with the small portion 92 of the outer wall 88 to partially define the trigger portion 22 of the pocket 20, and a third section 102 extending from the second section 100 to the bottom opening 62 of the pocket 20. The large portion 90 of the outer wall 88 generally corresponds to the barrel portion 24 of the pocket 20, is approximately parallel with the first holster body section 14, and is separated from the first holster body section 14 by a space. The small portion 92 of the outer wall 88 generally corresponds to the trigger portion 22 of the pocket 20, is approximately parallel with the first holster body section 14, and is separated from the first section 14 by a space. As illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 10, the small outer body portion 92 is closer to the first body section 14 than the large body portion 90, such that the trigger portion 22 of the receiving pocket 20 presents a smaller width than the barrel portion 24 of the receiving pocket 20.

The walls of the second body section 16 may be configured to accommodate a particular model or style of handgun. In the illustrated embodiment, the forward wall 94 may include a stepped portion 104 proximate the outer wall 88, and the outer wall 88 may include an elongated recess 106 extending from the top opening 26 partially toward the bottom opening 62 of the holster 10.

The second body section 16 may include elements for connecting the second body section 16 to the first body section 14. By way of example, an inner edge 108 of the forward wall 94 and a bottom edge of the rearward wall 96 may be flared and may each define channels 110 adapted to slidingly engage the rails 76,78,80 of the first body section 14 described above.

The retention element 86 extends inwardly into the handgun receiving pocket 20 and is configured to engage the handgun 28 when the handgun 28 is seated in the pocket 20 and to prevent the handgun 28 from being withdrawn from the holster 10 while so engaged. In the illustrated embodiment, the retention element 86 is positioned approximately opposite the biasing element 48 in the trigger portion 22 of the handgun receiving pocket 20 such that the retention element 86 and the biasing element 48 are in opposed relationship and both extend inwardly toward one another. The biasing element 86 is formed in, and extends inwardly from, a first surface of the first body section 14 and the retention element 86 is formed in, and extends inwardly from, a first surface of the second body 16 section that opposes the first surface of the first body section 14. As used herein, opposing surfaces are surfaces separated by a space. Such opposing surfaces may be parallel or nearly parallel, but need not be.

The illustrated retention element 86 includes a first, top end 112 that is beveled downwardly toward the edge to create a cam surface. A second, bottom end 114 of the retention element 86 defines a catch. The catch is a well-defined edge or other structural element capable of engaging the handgun 28 and preventing movement of the handgun 28 in an upward direction out of the holster 10. As explained below in greater detail, the cam surface of the retention element 86 facilitates insertion of the handgun 28 into the holster 10 by urging the handgun 28 away from and around the retention element 86 as the handgun 28 is inserted into the holster 10. The catch secures the handgun 28 into position by engaging a portion of the handgun 28 and arresting outward movement of the handgun 28 from the holster 10.

Bolt and T-nut combinations are used to secure the first body section 14 to the attachment component 12 as illustrated in FIG. 3, wherein the shield element 18 may be interposed between the attachment component 12 and the first body section 14, as needed. The shield element 18 at least partially covers the aperture 74 to prevent debris from passing into or through the aperture into the receiving pocket 20. The first body section 14 is secured to the second body section 16. In the illustrated embodiment, the first body section 14 is positioned relative to the second body section 16 such that the rails 76,78,80 of the first body section 14 are aligned with the channels 110 of the second body section 16, as illustrated in FIG. 4. The first body section 14 is then slid into place in the second body section 16 wherein the rails 76,78,80 engage the channels 110, as illustrated in FIG. 5. A bolt 116 and T-nut 118 combination, or similar fastening mechanism, is used to secure the first body section 14 into place relative to the second body section 16. Additionally or alternatively, a detent may be used to lock the first section 14 into place relative to the second section 16. For example, a detent 120 on the second body section 16 may engage a detent receiving recess 122 on the first body section 14.

In use, the handgun 28 is placed in the holster 10 by sliding the barrel of the handgun 28 into the top opening 26 of the holster 10 in a conventional manner. As the trigger guard 32 of the handgun 28 enters the trigger portion 22 of the receiving pocket 20, it contacts the retention element 86 and the biasing element 48. As the trigger guard 32 slides over the retention element 86 the cam surface of the retention element 86 causes the handgun 28 to rotate such that the grip 124 of the handgun 28 pivots toward the first attachment arm 34 (i.e., toward the user's person if the user is wearing the holster 10) and the trigger guard 32 pivots against the biasing element 48 as illustrated in FIG. 10, depressing the biasing element 48 to allow the trigger guard 32 to pass into the trigger portion 22 of the receiving pocket 20. Once the trigger guard 32 slides past the retention element 86 the handgun 28 rotates back to the original position illustrated in FIG. 8, wherein the handgun 28 is seated in the holster 10 and the catch on the retention element 86 prevents the handgun 28 from sliding up and out of the holster 10.

It should be noted that when the handgun 28 is fully seated in the holster 10, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the large portion 90 of the outer wall 88 covers at least a portion of the handgun trigger 30, thus protecting the handgun 28 from accidental or inadvertent discharge.

To remove the handgun 28 from the holster 10, the user pivots the handgun grip 124 toward the first attachment arm 34 (i.e., toward the user's person if the user is wearing the holster 10) his or her body and against the biasing element 48, causing the trigger guard 32 to depress the biasing element 48 and to move clear of the retention element 86 into the position illustrated in FIG. 10. With the trigger guard 32 clear of the retention element 86, the handgun 28 can be removed from the holster 10.

Although the invention has been described with reference to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the attached drawings, it is noted that equivalents may be employed and substitutions made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as recited in the claims. For example, the biasing element 48 and the retention element 86 may be located at different points on the holster than illustrated. Furthermore, the first holster body section 14 may be attached to the second holster body section 16 by any of various means, including bolting or gluing the first section 14 directly to the second section 16. 

Having thus described various embodiments of the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includes the following:
 1. A handgun holster comprising: a first body section constructed primarily of a single, unitary piece of material; a second body section constructed primarily of a single, unitary piece of material, the first and second body sections being interconnected to form at least a portion of a handgun holster body defining an internal handgun receiving pocket, the pocket including a barrel portion and a trigger portion; a biasing element integrally formed in the first body section, the biasing element including a flexible portion extending inwardly into the trigger portion of the receiving pocket from a first surface of the first body section; and a retention element integrally formed in the second body section, the retention element including a raised portion extending inwardly into the trigger portion of the receiving pocket from a first surface of the second body section that opposes the first surface of the first body section.
 2. The handgun holster of claim 1, the retention element configured to engage a handgun when the handgun is inserted into the holster and to prevent movement of the handgun out of the holster when engaging the handgun.
 3. The handgun holster of claim 2, the retention element being configured to engage a trigger guard of the handgun.
 4. The handgun holster of claim 2, the biasing element configured to flexibly engage the handgun and urge the handgun into engagement with the retention element.
 5. The handgun holster of claim 4, the handgun receive pocket being configured to allow the handgun to pivot in the pocket between a first position wherein the handgun is in engagement with the retention element, and a second position wherein the handgun is disengaged from the retention element.
 6. The handgun holster of claim 5, the biasing element configured to urge the handgun into the first position, and to yield to allow the handgun to pivot from the first position to the second position.
 7. The handgun holster of claim 5, each of the first and second body sections including a plurality of index elements for positioning the handgun in the pocket such that the handgun remains in engagement with the retention element when the handgun is in the first position.
 8. The handgun holster of claim 7, the index elements including elongated raised portions extending generally from a top portion of the holster toward a bottom portion of the holster.
 9. The handgun holster of claim 1, the biasing element including a stiff yet flexible arm, a first end of the arm attached to the first body section and the arm presenting an arcuate section extending inward into the trigger portion of the receiving pocket.
 10. The handgun holster of claim 1, the first body section and the second body section being slidably interconnected.
 11. The handgun holster of claim 10, the first body section including a rail, the second body section including a peripheral flared portion defining a channel for slidably receiving the rail.
 12. The handgun holster of claim 1, the retention element including a cam surface corresponding to a first end of the retention element proximate a top of the holster body and a catch corresponding to a second end of the retention element distal the top of the holster body.
 13. A handgun holster comprising: a first body section constructed primarily of a single, unitary piece of material; a second body section constructed primarily of a single, unitary piece of material, the first and second body sections being interconnected to form at least a portion of a handgun holster body defining an internal handgun receiving pocket; a retention element integrally formed in the second body section, the retention element extending inwardly into the pocket and configured to engage a handgun when the handgun is inserted into the holster and to prevent movement of the handgun out of the holster when engaging the handgun; and a biasing element integrally formed in the first body section, the biasing element extending inwardly into the pocket and configured to flexibly engage the handgun and urge the handgun into engagement with the retention element.
 14. The handgun holster of claim 13, the handgun receive pocket being configured to allow the handgun to pivot in the pocket between a first position wherein the handgun is in engagement with the retention element, and a second position wherein the handgun is disengaged from the retention element.
 15. The handgun holster of claim 14, the biasing element configured to urge the handgun into the first position, and to yield to allow the handgun to pivot between the first position and the second position.
 16. The handgun holster of claim 13, the receiving pocket including a trigger portion and a barrel portion, the retention element and the biasing element being positioned in the trigger portion.
 17. The handgun holster of claim 13, the biasing element including a press arm, a first end of the press arm attached to the first body section and the press arm presenting an arcuate section extending toward the retention element.
 18. The handgun holster of claim 13, the first body section and the second body section being slidably interconnected.
 19. The handgun holster of claim 18, the first body section including a rail, the second body section including a peripheral flared portion defining a channel for slidably receiving the rail.
 20. A handgun holster comprising: a first body section constructed primarily of a single, unitary piece of material; a second body section constructed primarily of a single, unitary piece of material and including a plurality of channel portions configured to slidingly receive a portion of the first body section, the first and second body sections being interconnected to form at least a portion of a handgun holster body defining an internal handgun receiving pocket, the pocket including a barrel portion and a trigger portion; a biasing element integrally formed in the first body section, the biasing element including a flexible portion extending inwardly into the trigger portion of the pocket from a first surface of the first body section; and a retention element integrally formed in the second body section, the retention element including a raised portion extending inwardly into the trigger portion of the pocket from a first surface of the second body section that opposes the first surface of the first body section, the handgun receive pocket being configured to allow the handgun to pivot in the pocket between a first position wherein the handgun is in engagement with the retention element, and a second position wherein the handgun is disengaged from the retention element. 